OpenClaw: Gateway operator.write Can Reach Admin-Class Channel Allowlist Persistence via chat.send

Exploitation

No confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next marks exploitation only from CISA KEV.

CVSS

not scored

EPSS

• CVE-2026-35621: 0.26% estimated exploitation activity in the next 30 days; percentile 18.40 (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-03). This is a model estimate, not proof of exploitation or customer exposure.

As published by the source; long descriptions are shortened.

Fixed in OpenClaw 2026.3.24, the current shipping release. Summary The shared /allowlist command persists channel authorization config through writeConfigFile(...) but does not re-validate gateway client scopes for internal gateway callers. Because chat.send is intentionally reachable to operator.write callers and still creates a generic command-authorized internal context, an authenticated write-scoped gateway client can indirectly mutate channel allowFrom and groupAllowFrom policy that direct config.patch correctly reserves to operator.admin. This is not just a generic code smell. The current code already shows the intended boundary by adding sink-side internal admin checks to shared /config and /plugins writes, but /allowlist was left behind. Details The gateway's documented scope split is clear: - chat.send is a write-scoped action. - direct config mutation is an admin-scoped action. The vulnerable path is: 1. A gateway client authenticates with operator.write. 2. The client…

Published by the source

30 Mar 2026, 18:52 UTC

Last modified by the source

10 Apr 2026, 17:42 UTC

Source last checked

26 Oct 2026, 12:48 UTC

1. Revision 2 · amended · 26 Oct 2026

   Amended from ghsa record GHSA-94pw-c6m8-p9p9

2. Revision 1 · created · 24 Oct 2026

   Published from osv record GHSA-94pw-c6m8-p9p9

Preview the exact text before you copy it. Commands are read-only suggestions; review them before running anything.

# Patch Next advisory brief: CVE-2026-35621

Advisory: OpenClaw: Gateway operator.write Can Reach Admin-Class Channel Allowlist Persistence via chat.send
IDs: CVE-2026-35621, GHSA-94pw-c6m8-p9p9
Record: https://patchnext.com/advisories/cve-2026-35621 (revision 2, source checked 26 Oct 2026, 12:48 UTC)
Inventory: none attached. This brief comes from a public page and does not say whether any deployment is affected.
Severity: Unrated
Exploitation: no confirmed exploitation recorded. Patch Next confirms exploitation only from CISA KEV.
Vendor response: Vendor fix available; fixed versions by package: openclaw 2026.3.24. A vendor fix does not mean a deployment is fixed.

## Affected components
- npm openclaw: affected <= 2026.3.23; fixed in 2026.3.24

## Suggested inspection (read-only)
- `npm ls openclaw --all`: lists every installed copy and version, including transitive ones. Run in the project root after `npm ci`.

## Supported action
Upgrade each affected component to a fixed version on its release line. For a transitive dependency, upgrade the parent package or add an override or constraint, then regenerate the lockfile. Redeploy every environment that ran an affected version.

## Required regression checks
- Run the test suite and a production build.
- Exercise the features that depend on openclaw.
- Repeat the inspection and confirm that only fixed versions remain installed.

## Rollback considerations
- Keep the previous lockfile and deployment artifact. Rolling back reinstates the vulnerable version, so apply any documented mitigation while you fix forward.

## Unresolved questions
- Which deployments run an affected version?
- Exploitation status can change. Check again before lowering the priority.
- Mark the work resolved only after the fixed version is verified in production.

## Sources
- Verified: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/GHSA-94pw-c6m8-p9p9 (OSV record GHSA-94pw-c6m8-p9p9 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <2026.3.24 (fixed))
- Verified: https://github.com/advisories/GHSA-94pw-c6m8-p9p9 (GitHub-reviewed advisory GHSA-94pw-c6m8-p9p9 lists affected ranges: npm openclaw >=0 <=2026.3.23)

Commands are suggestions: review each one before running it.